Matt Leber

Matt Leber is an American politician and Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 116.[1] In the 2022 general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 116, he defeated Democratic incumbent Chardale Murray[2] who had been a member of the South Carolina House since 2020. Leber serves on the House Judiciary Committee and as Chairman of the Freshman Caucus.[3]

Prior to being elected to office, Leber, a combat veteran, served eight years as a paratrooper in the United States Army.[4]

Leber supports term limits.[5]

Statements were issued by Henry McMaster, Governor of South Carolina who won his re-election bid,[6] and Drew McKissick, chair of the South Carolina Republican Party.[7]

In 2023, Leber was briefly among the Republican co-sponsors of the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023, which would make women who had abortions eligible for the death penalty;[8][9] he was later one of the first legislators to withdraw his sponsorship, telling NBC News "I wouldn't want to prosecute or charge women at all, that's never been my philosophy on pro-life issues ... It was my intention to offer amendments. Clean it up. I'm very clear that the current language [in] this bill is not what I stand for".[10]

In April 2023, Leber was the first South Carolina lawmaker to endorse Vivek Ramaswamy in the 2024 presidential election.[11] Leber serves as Ramaswamy's State Chair for South Carolina.[12]

In September, 2023, Leber announced his candidacy for South Carolina State Senate District 41. [13] In the Republican primary, Leber will face incumbent Sandy Senn, who controversially voted with Democrats on key issues such as abortion, COVID-19 restrictions, and the Second Amendment.